Give Him No Rest
by David Gibson In a not-so-familiar passage, God urges Israel, “You who remind the LORD, take no rest for yourselves; and give Him no rest …” (Isaiah 62:6-7 NASB). In other words, keep petitioning God in your prayers for the good of His people. He will hear and respond! Persistence pays! Jesus strongly emphasizes the…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to bring reproach on the church?
Question: What does it mean to bring reproach upon the church? Answer: “Reproach” means to show disapproval or to be disappointed. It can be used to refer to an individual who sinned and those causing the community around him to look down on him. “The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense;…
Read MoreDo I need to confess every lie I told?
Question: Hello sir, I have a question that I’m always confused by, and I would greatly appreciate your answer. I have sinned many times, years ago, against my husband, parents, family members, my friends, etc. There are many things I’ve done that I’m deeply ashamed and remorseful about. I lived a deceitful lifestyle, and I…
Read MoreThe Race
by Terry Wane Benton “The race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1) is the marathon of all marathons, the life-long run to finish without giving up. It is the race to receive the ultimate reward. The prize is more than worth the discipline, so the motivation to enter this race and finish should be…
Read MoreBalance
by Zeke Flores Now, there’s a concept. The more we need it, the more out of reach it appears. For instance, our political views have become more extreme and polarized. People on one end of the spectrum scream and holler for their side, while those on the other end scream and holler for theirs. And…
Read MoreBetter than Complaining
by Leslie Diestelkamp via Think, Vol. 2, No. 5, July 1971 Instead of always whining and complaining about the morals of the world about us, God’s people would do better to just demonstrate, in the pulpit and the pew, the qualities that are desirable. Let us say and do, preach and live moral purity of…
Read MoreThe Folly of Playing It Safe – Ecclesiastes 11:16
by Paul Earnhart via Biblical Insights, Vol 15, No. 1, January 2015 In Ecclesiastes 11, Solomon continues his admonitions to wise living when facing life’s uncertainties. He has frequently reminded us that we cannot know what will come after us (Ecclesiastes 3:22; 6:12; 8:7; 10:14). God’s providence is shrouded and beyond human wisdom to fathom…
Read MoreCollection for the Saints or Collection for Preachers?
by Sewell Hall via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15, No. 1, January 2015 A very respected and perceptive brother expressed the following in a note to the elders where he worships: “I am concerned that the collection for the saints’ is becoming ‘the collection for the preachers.’” Since others may have similar concerns, we offer the…
Read MoreWho Moved the Stones?
by David Gibson Only Matthew tells us that “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it” (Matthew 28:2 NASB). But when Jesus came to Lazarus’ tomb, He said, “Remove the stone” (John 11:39). It would have been easy for Jesus to move the stone…
Read MoreWhat Ever Happened to Preaching Repentance?
by Terry Wane Benton “The chief problem in America today is not getting people saved. It is getting people to realize they are lost” [Charlie Hainline]. So many churches and preachers seem convinced that their mission is first to make people feel good about themselves. They rarely, if ever, teach repentance (Luke 24:48). We need…
Read MoreHow do I convince my wife to reconcile?
Question: Good afternoon. God bless you. My wife and I got married when I was an unbeliever and she was a Christian, during which time I mistreated her and was unfaithful to her. She was also unfaithful but did not have sex; she only kissed other men. I left home, we did not get divorced,…
Read MoreThe Fall of Zedekiah
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/The-Fall-of-Zedekiah.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Jeremiah 52:1-11 I. The fall of Jerusalem and the end of the kingdom of Judah was a sad time period. A. Josiah was the last good king of Israel, but the kings that ruled after him did evil in the sight of God. B. King Jehoiachin began his reign at the…
Read MoreQuit Horsing Around
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Quit-Horsing-Around.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 32 I. The Bible is filled with reminders to look at the world around us and learn from the examples we find. A. The ant is an example of industry and not procrastinating – Proverbs 6:6-11 B. Job recommended – Job 12:7-10 C. There is wisdom to be learned in observation…
Read MoreJong Rethinks Sex
by Floyd Chappelear via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 Erica Jong, who has been at the forefront of leading the movement for sexual liberation, is being driven to the conclusion that perhaps she has been wrong. In the October issue of Glamour magazine, the author of Fear of Flying has the…
Read MoreMedia Morality: Who Is Responsible?
by Floyd Chappelear Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 Dorothy Gilliam is a liberal, feminist, syndicated columnist. Like so many of her calling, she has done much to break down the barriers of decency. In the name of “liberation,” she decried the morality that helped make this country great. Now, when it…
Read MoreReal Gold
by Joan Rieber via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 The gift-giving seasons emphasize a paradox. Stores and catalogs are full of things made of gold despite the extremely high price of this metal in recent years. Delicate design and fine workmanship raise the price of some of these articles even higher.…
Read MoreDid Samson commit suicide?
Question: The following is taken from a long letter that mostly complains that a response to a question about suicide was not kind enough. The issues raised were already addressed in “I believe your article on suicide is unfair.” The author of this complaint did read the answer, but it wasn’t good enough for him.…
Read MoreShould I break up with my boyfriend?
Question: I hope this message finds you well. I’m reaching out because I need guidance and advice regarding my current relationship and spiritual walk. Here’s my situation: My boyfriend and I met at university. He had set up his business there, and I was still a student. We became good friends, although he never made any…
Read MoreWe May Have Confidence
by Terry Wane Benton Everything is not up for question and doubt. There are some things we can know and be certain about. John says we “may have confidence” (I John 2:28) at His coming. He says, “By this we know that we know Him” (I John 2:3). We can pass from not knowing to…
Read MoreUnhappy or Happy?
by Terry Wane Benton The measure of a good life is not that you are happy or not. You can sear the conscience so that it does not bother you to do wrong or to use people for selfish purposes. With a seared conscience, you could possibly enjoy the “pleasures of sin.” Therefore, the question…
Read MoreAre All Religions Right?
by Perry Hall I needed another car, so I did a test drive. Somehow, I managed to turn the discussion to the religious. He grew up as a Christian, married a Muslim, and said they are all the same because everyone worships the same God and are good people. There are undoubtedly many good people,…
Read MoreWhy I Left the Methodist Church (Jackson)
by Robert Jackson I became a member of the Methodist church in Charlotte, Tennessee, at the age of twelve. This was the result of being brought up in a Methodist family. I was taught that one should believe in Christ and then join the church of his choice, and his choice, as a rule, would…
Read MoreWho Can Stand?
by Ryan Boyer In Revelation 6, Jesus (the Lamb) is opening the scroll’s seals one by one. The first four are the famous four horsemen of the apocalypse. These are not only punishments against people who have persecuted God’s people but also wake-up calls and opportunities to repent (like the Egyptian plagues). They are also…
Read MoreCan I get married in the church?
Question: Hello, I have a question. It happened months ago, but I want to know about this concern. I was studying doctrine. I liked a brother, and I decided to go out with him. We were like boyfriend and girlfriend but never agreed to be in a relationship. That date went so far that we…
Read MoreFeminism: A New Faith
by Wanda Walker via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 9, No. 11, November 30, 1983 There are numerous religious organizations in the United States and throughout the world, all claiming to serve God in some fashion or tradition. Their use of the Bible as God’s inspired word is minimal. Instead, most of these organizations attempt to set…
Read MoreThe Marriage Problem
by Lynn Trapp via Sentry Magazine, vol. 9, no. 11, November 30, 1983 (slightly abridged) Divorce is on the rise among Christians. The church has been and always will be affected by the society around it. Thus, as society approves more and more of divorce, the church will be swept along with the tide. People…
Read MoreThe Benefit of the Doubt
by Zeke Flores Sometimes, we say, “Give me the benefit of the doubt.” We want some leeway, some wiggle room, some consideration, some understanding. But are we willing to extend that same courtesy to others? The church and the world would undoubtedly be better off if we were as patient with others as we expect…
Read MoreThe Power of Preachers
by Chadwick Brewer “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.…And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom…I…
Read MoreSo Certain in Faith
by Terry Wane Benton Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O…
Read MoreA Broken Mold
by Zeke Flores Jesus broke the mold of how a rabbi should act. At least, He didn’t act in a way that the religious, holy-toity leaders in His day thought He should. It was bad enough to have accepted a (gasp) tax collector as a follower after He was seen associating with various other “sinners!”…
Read MorePropaganda Wars – The Use of the Education System
by Terry Wane Benton The propaganda that God does not exist unless He lets us see Him directly has always been treated as foolish propaganda, and rightly so. Psalms 14:1 says the “fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.'” Just a few chapters later (Psalms 19:1), the Psalmist pointed out that “the…
Read MorePropaganda Wars – Manipulating the Truth
by Terry Wane Benton The devil engaged in a propaganda war with the first couple in the garden. He tried to convince them that God was bad and was holding them back from some great potential experience. God was in their way. The propaganda seemed valid. The fruit on the tree did look good for…
Read MorePropaganda Wars
by Terry Wane Benton Controlling the Narrative Rhetoric Unbelief Based on Propaganda When People Can’t or Won’t Hear Truth Manipulating the Truth The Use of the Education System
Read MorePropaganda Wars – Rhetoric
by Terry Wane Benton Interestingly, the rhetoric used in truth vs. propaganda often turns to prejudicial phrases. Elijah was called a “troubler” in Israel by the wicked king. Who really was the troubler? Was it not those who grew to accept immorality and idolatry? But Ahab used the word “troubler” to close minds against God’s…
Read MorePropaganda Wars: Unbelief Based on Propaganda
by Terry Wane Benton The Bible talks about a god that never existed and a Jesus who never existed, modern atheists and humanists tell us. Is that fact (truth) or propaganda? Our president laid his hand on a fiction book and swore by fiction to uphold the Constitution: “So help me, fictional god?” Truth or…
Read MorePropaganda Wars – When People Can’t or Won’t Hear Truth
by Terry Wane Benton We have the book of Jeremiah only because truth wins in the end. But think of the propaganda that seemed to prevail when Jeremiah was trying to preach to the corrupt establishment. God had an important mission for Jeremiah, “to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw…
Read MoreNever Speak Evil
by Doy Moyer Never speak evil. We are not to speak evil of anyone, including those in positions of power. Not even Michael the archangel would bring a railing accusation against the devil, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” (Jude 9) The powers that be are in God’s hands and judged according to His will;…
Read MoreMarijuana Impacts Memory
Source: Julia Milzer, “Largest Study Ever Done on Cannabis and Brain Function Finds Impact on Working Memory,” University of Colorado, 28 January 2025. “The researchers found that 63% of heavy lifetime cannabis users exhibited reduced brain activity during a working memory task, while 68% of recent users also demonstrated a similar impact.” “This decline in brain…
Read MoreIs speaking in tongues for communicating with God?
Question: May God continue to strengthen you guys in Jesus’ name. Amen. You may not be aware, but many issues arise with the topic of speaking in tongues here. A brother recently sent me some voice notes discussing speaking in tongues with a man. He explained that speaking in tongues, as described in the New…
Read MoreWas Paul’s thorn in the flesh his bad eyesight?
Question: In II Corinthians 12:1-10, Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh,” which kept him from exalting himself, especially after entering paradise. Does Galatians 4:15 show his thorn in the flesh was his eyes? Also, did he see Paradise or just hear words he couldn’t repeat? Answer: “Boasting is necessary, though it is not…
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